Cigarette and E-Cigarette Use in Greater Philadelphia: Proportion of Use Compared to National Data and Local Predictors of Smoking Status.

UNLABELLED: ObjectiveWe assessed cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use in the Greater Philadelphia region alongside national data. The objectives were to descriptively explore differences in tobacco use by sociodemographic characteristics. We also examined cancer belief associations with smoking and e-cigarette use in the local context.

METHODS

We descriptively compared cross-sectional survey data from 2744 adults in the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) catchment area (Greater Philadelphia region; May-July 2022) with 6252 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) nationally representative respondents (United States; March-November 2022). Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with tobacco use in the local context.

RESULTS

Higher prevalence of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use were observed in the SKCCC catchment compared to national data. Racial/ethnic minority groups reported higher tobacco use. Locally, perceived susceptibility and belief that chances of getting cancer cannot be reduced were associated with use of both products. Locally, sociodemographic factors including low education, financial hardship, and perceived discrimination predicted higher tobacco use.

CONCLUSIONS

Regionally tailored public health interventions are warranted to address cancer beliefs and social determinants of health to reduce tobacco-related cancer disparities and promote health equity.